Draft device for whiffletrees



(No Medel.)

Q. v. P. DAY. DRAFT DEVICE FOR' WHIFFLETREES.

No. 482,622. Patented Sept. 13, 1892.

HIIINIIIIII mi 'lg l s UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

QUINTIS V. P. DAY, OF DINUBA, CALIFORNIA.

DRAFT DEVICE FOR WHIFFLETREES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 482,622, datedSeptember 13, 1892.

Application tiled October 9, 1891. Serial No. 408,251. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, QUINTIS V. P. DAY, of Dinuba, in the county ofTulare and State of California, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Draft Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is in the nature of a springdraft, so as to relieve thevehicle, harness, animal, and driver of the jerk incident to the suddenst-arting of the horse or the striking of the vehicle against a stone orother obstruction in the road; and the invention consists in certainnovel constructions and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of the invention as applied tobuggy-shafts. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section, and Fig. 3 across-section, of the improvement. Figa is a view of the inner side ofthe top section; and Fig. 5, a similar View of the bottom section, allof which will be described.

The draft device includes a casing A and a spring-actuated draft-bar B,movable longitudinally therein. The casingA is preferably made in upperand lower sections A A2, each having guide-grooves C for the draft-barand recesses D for the springs E, such recesses D being formed withwings d' for the arms or Wings l) of the draft-bar B. The draft-bar B isfitted in the casing, the sections A A2 of which are united in anysuitable manner, and the bar is made in T shape, with the arms or wingsh at its rear end projecting into the wings d and bearing against therear ends of the springs E, as shown, so that such springs will inoperation resist the forward movement of the barB and by the elasticityof the springs ease the jerks of the horse in starting suddenly and thejars resulting from the vehiclewheels striking obstructions or abruptdepressions in the road. The draft-bar is shown as extended at its front end B beyond the casing and perforated at such point at Z9 for theconnection of a draft-hook, clevis, or other suitable draft attachment,and the bar also has between its ends an upwardly-projected pin or boltB2, on which a whiflletree or doubletree may be pivotally secured, suchpart B2 being projected up through a slot a, formed in the section A',and being braced by a riblike construction b2, formed on the bar B inrear of such pin B2, as shown. Manifestly either one of the modes ofattachment may be employed; but the top pin is preferred by me, althoughin manufacturing the device I prefer to make it with both the extensionB and the pin B2, so that it can be applied for use in either waypreferred bythe purchaser.

The device is applicable to buggies, Wagons, street-cars, plows, orother object designed to be pulled by horses and can be made differentsizes to suit the work for which they are intended.

In applying the invention to buggies the casing is suitably secured onthe cross-bar of the shaft and the singlctree pivotally secured on thepin B2, or the single or double tree may be fastened by a clevis, pin,or hook to the front end B of the draft-bar.

The invention relieves and obviates all the jerk on the horse, vehicle,and rider, its advantages in such respect being readily seen. It alsoenables the horse to start a heavy load easier, as on the first pull thespring eases up and the animal, thinking the load is starting, will beencouraged to further efforts. The construction is simple and easilyapplied.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new isl. Theimproved draft device, substantially as herein described, consisting ofthe casing, the springs located therein, and the draft-bar arrangedbetween said springs and having lateral arms or portions engaging thesame, such draft-bar being provided with a stud proj ected above suchcasing and with a bracing rib or portion b2, all substantially as andfor the purposes set forth.

2. As an improved article of manufacture, a draft device consisting ofthe casing composed of upper and, lower sections provided in their innerfaces with coincident recesses D, having wings d, and provided centrallywith grooves C, opening out of the front end of the casing, and the topsection being provided with a slot a', and the draft-bar movablelongitudinally in the grooves C, extended at its front end beyond thecasing, provided at its rear end with lateral arms extended into thewings d and engaging in rear of the springs, and provided at its upperside with a stud or pin projecting up through the slot a and above thecasing, the said stud being adapted IOO t0 receive a buggy-Whifetree andthe front gitudinallyin the casing between the recesses Ia end of thedraft-bar for engagement by the l D and provided Wiih arms b, extendedin ophook of aplow-singletree, allsubsantizrily as posite directions andacross the recesses D described, and for the purposes set forth. andbearing in rear of the springs E, all sub- 8. The improved draftdevice,substantia1ly staniially as and for rhe purposes set; forth.

as described, comprising lLhe casing provided QUINTISV. P. DAY.

with recesses D, having lateral wings CZ at their Witnesses:

rear ends, springs E, fitted in the recesses D, D. S. COHN,

and the draft-bar arranged and movable lon- GEO. INGRAM.

